The Douro Valley Portugal

The Douro valley is the grape growing region for Port Wine and it has been producing wine since it was introduced into Portugal 2.000 years ago by the Romans.

The wine is taken to the Port Wine ‘caves’ at the mouth of the river in Gaia which is on the south bank facing Porto (Oporto). It used to be a perilous journey down the fast flowing river in the traditional ‘Rabelo’ boats but in the 19th. Century a railway was built along the banks of the river and its tributaries.

Now road tankers are used to transport the wine and the river is a series of dams with locks for boats to pass. Passenger trains are still running and the line is among ‘The Great Railway Journeys of the World’. These days the river is mainly used for tourist traffic including hotel boats taking a week to go across Portugal and return to Porto.

The Port Wine growing region is very attractive and has a hot, dry micro climate. The large Port wine Quintas are usually painted white and their estates go down to the rivers edge. A little known fact is that the walled terraces were built by black slave labour. The slaves were later replaced in the vineyards by labourers from Galicia in Spain. The slaves have left no trace behind, not even descendents of mixed race.

The Douro valley is an outstanding example of a traditional European wine producing region and has been declared a World Heritage Site. Further upriver is the Archaeological Park of Foz Coa which prevented the area being flooded when a proposed dam was built. It has also been granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO.

The accommodation in the area is limited but very diverse. Many visitors stay at the Pousada Pousada Solar da Rede overlooking the river at Mesao Frio. Another popular hotel is the Regua Douro Hotel. A famous Port Wine Quinta which has guest accommodation is Casa de Casal de Loivos which has spectacular views of the river below. Another option is the riverside Quinta de Sao Jose. Nearer to Porto is the recently modernised Quinta de Cao.

An interesting self catering quinta for rent is Casa de Povoa which is an old Manor house looking down to one of the dams on the river. Near Pinhao is Casa Amarelo which is located at the rivers edge on one of the wine producing quintas.

Cottages with a shared swimming pool include those at Quinta de Santa Julia de Loureiro on a beautiful Port Wine producing quinta looking down the hillside to Regua. There is also cottage accommodation at Quinta de Sao Jose upriver from Pinhao.

This area is truly spectacular and is not yet overrun with tourists.